Fun Ways To Spend Canada Day This Year

Although Canada Day isn’t quite here yet (it is still May), there’s still plenty of plans to be made for Canada’s birthday, including where you should go (and where you should drink). But trust us, there will be plenty of things to do nation-wide for July 1st, and you don’t want to miss any of them, so make time for these especially fun ways to spend Canada Day this year!

Canada Day BBQ

Having a BBQ on Canada Day is just a given. We’ve all had to endure our extended family pouring over ribs and a good amount of coleslaw, which is pretty typical of summers with big families. But why not spice it up this year? Try creating Canada Day themed shots and cocktails, and invite some friends over to a BBQ with a crazy amount of food to satiate that good ol’ day drunk hunger. Tip: make a shot with maple syrup, or make a regular caesar (did you know they’re only found in Canada?) interesting with some maple-smoked bacon and bacon or flavoured flavoured vodka.

Fireworks at the beach

You’ve got plenty of time to figure out how to get to a beach if you’re land-locked, considering that it’s only May. Or you can go to the plenty of great beaches that surround lakes, especially in interior B.C. and Ontario, where they’re natural and the beaches actually have sand. Kick back for the weekend and watch fireworks over the water as you drink a couple of cold drinks and some good snacks (we suggest eating snacks you can’t find outside of Canada, like all-dressed chips, for some extra patriotism).

Spend an extra-long weekend at a cottage

What screams summer long weekends more than spending your time at a secluded house or cottage by a lake? Especially if you want to catch those classic, 80s summer movie vibes with summer romance and kissing on the docks. Or just celebrating Canada Day on that dock, with plenty of drinks and your friends. Whatever floats your boat. Just don’t forget to watch those fireworks when they go off, especially if you’re near a pretty private lake.

Niagra Falls Trip

Why not book a trip out to Canada’s natural wonder of the world? Along with a huge amount of activities, festivals, and great shopping, Niagra Falls also holds a Canada Day celebration every year, complete with a firework display over the falls that will blow your mind. If you haven’t been, this is also a great excuse to visit the area after Canada Day and do some summer fun, like visiting the Skywheel, going to some cool museums, and hitting up some amusement parks.

Check out food trucks and restaurant deals

It’s always around Canada Day that food trucks and restaurants go absolutely bonkers on sales — which is great for going out and just having a good time in your own city. Check out the downtown celebrations in almost every city in Canada, where there’ll be food trucks lined up with maple flavoured everything and a whole lot of back bacon. Or go to a restaurant or bar and partake in some crazy good deals, especially for Canadian specialty beer (like Molson Canadian).

China Town Festival

Although this isn’t something featured in every city in Canada, it’s definitely one of the most fun ways to spend the day before you start drinking. Calgary’s China Town has a Canada Day festival every year, complete with a parade (which, yes, has dragon dancers) and booths of all sizes where you can buy literally anything you could think of, including some amazing food.